>But why does a championship chess set need to be produced expensively?
In a word: Regulation. You have to use one of the specified sets from a specified manufacturer not just any. Fewer manufactures means less competition.
In a word: Regulation. You have to use one of the specified sets from a specified manufacturer not just any. Fewer manufactures means less competition.
Feynman on 'Why':
> Regulation is sufficient explanation for why something has a minimum price.
I read the original question of "Why are championship chess sets so expensive?" as two questions:
1. Why do chess championships use specific chess sets?
2. Why are those chess sets expensive to make?
The second question is easily answered, but I'm more curious about the first, and I think others here are as well. I'd probably be content with just one layer of why, such as "the regulators have an interest in the company that makes them" or "in the X year championship, Y problem occurred due to a substandard chess set".